


Bruises to a Name

by Carerra_os



Series: Harringrove Tumblr Stories [31]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Injuries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:29:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25771393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carerra_os/pseuds/Carerra_os
Summary: Steve has been avoiding Billy, and Billy goes to confront him about it assuming the worst.-Billy goes through the house looking for Steve, frowning at the lukewarm ice pack and pain relievers on the coffee table. Billy pushes the concern that rises away, he is not here to check on Steve, he is here because Steve is being shitty to him and Billy is not going to put up with it. He thought Steve was better than that, thought he, thought Steve loved him, and Billy pulls anger around him like a shield as he continues his search.Billy finally finds Steve in his parent’s bathroom and all of those angry thoughts sour in his gut.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Series: Harringrove Tumblr Stories [31]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1673560
Comments: 6
Kudos: 173





	Bruises to a Name

**Author's Note:**

> #4 “Who gave you that black eye”

**Bruises to a Name**

Billy has not seen Steve in a couple of days, and it does not sit well with him. Steve has been acting weird, avoiding, evasive on the phone and feigning sick. Billy knows he is not sick because every time he goes into Family video to check on him, when he knows Steve is working, he is mysteriously busy in the back room. Which is literally the opposite of how Steve usually acts when he is sick, he is always clinging and whining at Billy to bring him soup and shit. 

Neither Robin nor Keith will tell him shit and it is not like he can just ask if Steve is avoiding him. They have not gone public with their relationship because of Neil Hargrove and seeming like he cares will definitely tip Robin off. Enough people already know, and Billy does not care how many times Steve promises she will not care, Billy does not want her to know. 

Billy has had enough though, if this is Steve’s shitty way of ending things Billy is going to make him do it in person, which is why Friday night Billy uses the spare key under the mat to get into Steve house. If Steve really did not want him to barge in he should find a new hiding place than the very obvious one, honestly he is lucky no one has robbed him.

Billy goes through the house looking for Steve, frowning at the lukewarm ice pack and pain relievers on the coffee table. Billy pushes the concern that rises away, he is not here to check on Steve, he is here because Steve is being shitty to him and Billy is not going to put up with it. He thought Steve was better than that, thought he, thought Steve loved him, and Billy pulls anger around him like a shield as he continues his search.

Billy finally finds Steve in his parent’s bathroom and all of those angry thoughts sour in his gut. Steve’s eyes are closed, as he soaks in the tube, his face a myriad of molting bruises, bruises that trail down his chest. Billy hears something like a wounded noise and does not realize he is the one that made it till Steve’s eyes fly open wide and panicked.

“Billy?” Steve breaks eye contact, turns his face away, shifts his body in an attempt to hide, but the bruises on his back are just as bad.

“Who did this to you. **Who gave you that black eye**? Who the fuck kicked you?” Billy growls out the anger back but not at Steve, at whoever did this to him, whoever left an impression of their shoe against Steve’s ribs nearly hiding the cluster of moles there with their black and blue spread.

“What are you doing here? I, I told you not to come.” Steve asks, the water rippling around him.

“I thought you were leaving me, so I came to confront you.” Billy admits, still a little angry about Steve avoiding him, angry that Steve did not just tell him what was going on. Billy moves closer kneeling at the side of the tub, only then realizing the water is rippling because Steve is trembling.

“Oh, no, Billy no, I wouldn’t do that.” Steve’s voice goes high with concern as he turns back toward Billy, and Billy takes the opportunity to pull him to the edge so he can wrap his arms around his shoulder.

“Who did this?” Billy repeats, careful of Steve’s injuries as he strokes at soft skin, Steve smells like apricots from whatever fancy bath product he has been soaking in as Billy dips his head close to his bare skin.

“I just got in a fight.” Steve tries to brush it off, damp hands curling over Billy’s jacket, water rolling down the folds of leather.

“This is more than just some fight.” Billy practically growls, he looks like that night just a few short years ago when Billy had attacked him. Billy had definitely gone too far, farther than any other fight he has ever been in but even then he had not kicked Steve, he never kicked a man when he was already down. “Who did it?” Billy demands, finger itching to pay whoever did this back in kind, he will make an exception this once and kick a man when he is down.

“This is why I didn’t want you seeing me.” Steve huffs, trying to pull away and hissing when Billy holds firm, Steve’s muscles sore and protesting as he strains against the hold.

“Steve!” Billy drops his tone, something that usually gets him what he wants but he can tell it is not working as Steve turns to glare at him.

“No, I don’t want you fighting, you've barely recovered from the mind flyer. Drop it.” Billy recoils letting Steve slide to the other edge of the tub against the wall, Steve has a point but it still pisses Billy off, he hates being reminded of how much weaker he still is from that thing nearly killing him.

“Someone hurt you! I’m not fucking dropping it.” Billy growls standing and pacing like a caged animal itching for a fight.

“Hopper already fucking dealt with it, alright it’s already been taken care of. There is nothing you can even do right now.” Steve explains, still huddled against the edge of the tub once again not looking at Billy, his bruises stark against the pristine white that surrounds him.

“Just tell me who.” Billy demands again, “I won’t go after them, alright, I just need to know who to keep an eye out for.” he bargains, from Steve’s words it is easy to guess that the guy is in lock up at the station. Hopper and his deputies would know exactly what he was there for if he was to show up. 

They are all in the know much to Billy’s annoyance, all of them having caught the two of them going at it on separate occasions. Billy had been scared shitless the first time, Steve no better next to him before Hopper had sighed and told them to get home before they got caught by someone else. Hopper had reassured them both by telling them to give him a call if someone did give them shit but to stop screwing around on private property. Steve and Billy had actually stumbled upon Callahan and Powell going at it, which had been much less terrifying, the men had barely kept eye contact telling them to scram when they later caught Steve and Billy out at the quarry.

Billy is not actually looking at Steve when he hears him get out of the tub, water splashing as he moves. Billy catches a glimpse of Steve hiding the bruises covering his skin under a thick fluffy robe before Steve is crowding against Billy’s back leaning his face into Billy’s neck.

“It doesn’t matter.” Steve whispers arms going under Billy’s and curling up over his shoulders holding him close.

“Maters to me.” Billy mutters hands coming up to cover Steve’s on his shoulder.

“I know.” Steve kisses the back of Billy’s neck. “But can we drop it for now, I’m tired.” Steve requests pulling away from Billy, and he really sounds tired and Billy feels the anger melting, and the part of him that always brings Steve his soup and crackers, and the specific throat lozenges Steve insists are better than all the others starts to kick in. 

“You’ll tell me tomorrow?” Billy asks, turning and gathering Steve close, rubbing their nose together, one of the few places Steve miraculously is not injured.

“Probably not.” Steve admits and Billy huffs out an annoyed breath against his mouth, it does not matter if Steve decides to tell him or not, Billy knows how to get the information, Flow is not above his charm. “Come cuddle with me?” Steve pulls back again, hand catching Billy’s as he twines their fingers pulling Billy along when he nods his head in assent as if he would refuse Steve anything in this state. 

Billy lets Steve lead them back to his room, stripping down to bare skin when Steve moves to put on soft clothes. Billy slips under the covers holding the blanket up for Steve when he pads over. Billy pulls the blankets up around them curling protectively around Steve and leaving gentle kisses along his neck. “I just want to protect you.” Billy whispers, the only source of light, the moon high in the sky outside shining brightly through the window, making the bruises on Steve’s face appear worse in the shadows.

“I know, I love you.” Steve turns in Billy’s arms giving him a chaste kiss on the mouth before tucking his head under Billy’s chin, shifting his whole body down lower so he does not have to leave his spin in discomfort.

“Love you to pretty boy.” Billy whispers back arms tightening around Steve as he listens to him breathe, promises of revenge kept locked away with each straining breath. Billy tucks his nose against Steve’s hair and lets himself drift, visions of revenge playing behind closed lids.

**-end**

**Author's Note:**

> https://ghostofjellyfishforgotten.tumblr.com/


End file.
